they paid dearly for that dangerous decision.

[DUET]

Source:
Manhattan Text completion

The Donner party made a parlous choice to try to cross the Rockies too late in the season, and they paid dearly for that dangerous decision.

Does the bold part mean

they deal with their dangerous decision dearly?

 

[pob14]

"Dear" is used in the sense of "expensive;" their decision was costly. (It cost many of them their lives, in fact.)